18/11/2019

Jobs & Tourism Boost For Co Down Town

The Co Down town of Castlewellan is set for a tourism boost with plans for a four-star Licensed Guest Inn.

An investment of over £3 million will develop the former Castlewellan Guest House into Hillyard House, a 20 room facility with a 90-seater restaurant and bar.

Local retail firm Fresh Food Centres is behind the investment, which will create 11 additional jobs and is expected to be completed by February 2020.

The company is well known throughout Castlewellan, with a supermarket, petrol station and ecological retail store, along with another retail establishment in Warrenpoint.

Announcing the new hotel, Michael Johnston, Operational Director of Fresh Food Centres, said: "The redevelopment of Hillyard House is a significant investment for our company and one which we believe will deliver generous economic benefits for the local region. Our vision of a high-end Guest Inn will be a unique offering for the area.

"Being positioned in the heart of the town, close to Castlewellan Forest Park, means that we will be attractive to tourists exploring the region."

Alongside the 11 full-time jobs, the new development will also create 26 part-time positions for the area.

Invest Northern Ireland has committed £300,000 to the redevelopment.

John Hood, Director of Food & Tourism at Invest NI, said: "The redevelopment of the old Guest House is a welcome boost for the local economy and will enhance the tourism offering within the County Down area.

"With many tourist attractions nearby, Hillyard House will capitalise on this to boost the Northern Ireland tourism industry further through overnight trips to the region. Furthermore, the economic benefit also includes the creation of 11 jobs as well as employment generated through the construction phase."



(JG/CM)

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

26 November 2001
Minister consults on open-ended investment companies
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has pledged a commitment from his department to providing a modern financial services regulatory framework in Northern Ireland relevant to the needs of local investment firms and investors.
08 October 2019
Belfast Secures International Conference
Some 120 international buyers will meet in Belfast next Spring for a prestigious conference that's set to boost the local tourism economy. HelmsBriscoe will hold its European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) Regional Meeting in the city next March, a conference that last year secured a total of 1.27 billion dollars in meetings revenue worldwide.
30 April 2019
First Golf Tourism Convention Held In NI
Twenty seven golf tour buyers from International markets are currently in Northern Ireland to take part in the region's first ever Golf Tourism Convention.
03 April 2019
Networking Event To Develop Causeway Coast Tourism Experiences
A speed networking event is set to bring together all four Causeway Coastal Route (CCR) clusters to introduce their respective tourism products. Businesses will have one to one exchanges, each lasting five minutes, in a bid to foster collaborative initiatives and help entrepreneurs identify more opportunities for tourism experiences.
02 October 2018
Belfast Named 'Best Events Destination' At Conference Awards
Belfast has been named the Best Events Destination, with ICC Belfast – formerly Belfast Waterfront – named Best Venue at the Conference and Incentive Travel magazine (C&IT) Awards in London on Friday 21 September 2018.